Spare Times for May 31-June 6

By Lori Holcomb and Anne Mancuso

May 30, 2013

TALKS AT THE 92ND STREET Y (Sunday through Thursday) Magic, music and politics — with a dash of fashion — will be in the mix next week during talks at the Y. On Sunday at 7 p.m., the magician Steve Cohen, below, will talk with Dick Cavett, who began his show business career doing magic tricks, and Robert Palumbo, the writer, director and one of the executive producers of a recent History Channel special that featured Mr. Cohen.

On Tuesday at 8:15 p.m. the rock star John Mellencamp, top left, will discuss his latest projects — including a musical with Stephen King — with the entertainment lawyer Allen Grubman. On Wednesday at 8 p.m. issues like immigration, government debt and a failing infrastructure will be the focus of a political discussion between Arianna Huffington, above, president and editor in chief of the Huffington Post Media Group, and Richard Haass, president of the Council on Foreign Relations and the author of “Foreign Policy Begins at Home: The Case for Putting America’s House in Order.”

On Thursday at 8:15 p.m., Ralph Nader, top right, the political activist, will give his assessment of where he thinks America is headed in a talk with Amy Goodman, a co-host, with Juan González, of the news show “Democracy Now!,” broadcast locally on WBAI (99.5 FM).

Also on Thursday, at 8 p.m., the fashion designer Oscar de la Renta will talk about his career with Fern Mallis, host of the radio show “Fashion Insiders With Fern Mallis,” on Sirius XM. Ticket prices range from $29 to $36, with $15 tickets at some events for those 35 and younger, 1395 Lexington Avenue, (212) 415-5500, 92y.org. (Ms. Mallis’s talk with Mr. de la Renta is sold out, but will be available for live streaming at 92y.org/livecast.) Not a bad week ahead for the spoken word. (Anne Mancuso)

Around Town

Museums and Sites

American Museum of Natural History: ‘Frogs: A Chorus of Color’ (daily through Jan. 5) More than 150 live frogs representing 25 species are on view in re-creations of their natural habitats in this exhibition highlighting the amphibians’ evolution, biology and challenges to survival in our changing environment. From 10 a.m. to 5:45 p.m., Central Park West and 79th Street, (212) 769-5200, amnh.org; timed tickets, with the suggested admission price of $25; $19 for students and 60+; $14.50 for children 12 and under.

American Museum of Natural History: ‘Whales: Giants of the Deep’ (daily through Jan. 5) This interactive exhibition covers the world of the giant mammals, in context to humans and other animals. From 10 a.m. to 5:45 p.m., Central Park West and 79th Street, (212) 769-5200, amnh.org; timed tickets, with the suggested admission price of $25; $19 for students and 60+; $14.50 for children 12 and under.

Bronx Museum: ‘Solace on the Line’ (through Sept. 8) For Benjamin Boakye, pastor of the Ebenezer Assembly of God Church in the Bronx, a spiritual connection with his congregants — caregivers who cannot easily leave the homes of their charges — is just a phone call away. The stories of these caregivers and their pastor are the focus of this exhibition with images by Todd Heisler, a photographer for The New York Times, and text by the writer Susan Hartman. Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Fridays from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., 1040 Grand Concourse, at 165th Street, Morrisania, the Bronx, (718) 681-6000, bronxmuseum.org; free.

Brooklyn Museum: ‘Life, Death, and Transformation in the Americas’ (Saturday) Part of the monthly Target First Saturdays series, this event features live musical and dance performances (the Chilean singer-songwriter Claudia Acuña performs at 5 p.m.), storytelling, gallery talks, hands-on activities and demonstrations inspired by the influences that indigenous societies in the Americas have had on contemporary culture. From 5 to 10 p.m., 200 Eastern Parkway, at Prospect Park, Brooklyn, (718) 638-5000, brooklynmuseum.org; free.

Center for Jewish History: ‘Passages Through the Fire: Jews and the Civil War’ (Monday and through Aug. 11) Sponsored by the American Jewish Historical Society and Yeshiva University Museum, this exhibition tells the stories of American Jews of the 1800s who were caught in the turmoil of the Civil War. It consists of more than 250 photographs, documents and other items from private collections, libraries and museums. On Monday, two discussions on the topic are planned — at 6 p.m., John Sellers, a Civil War scholar, will talk about Jews who fought during the Civil War; at 6:30 p.m. a panel discussion about Jewish participation in the Battle of Gettysburg will feature Robert D. Marcus, a collector who provided many items for the show; Lance Sussman, an historian; and Gary Kross, a Gettysburg tour guide; tickets are $15, $10 for members, students and 65+. Exhibition hours are Fridays from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.; Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Mondays from 5 to 8 p.m.; and Wednesdays from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.; 15 West 16th Street, Flatiron district, (212) 294-8330, cjh.org; $8; $6 for students and 65+; free for under 5 and members and for everyone on Mondays, Wednesdays, 5 to 8 p.m. and all day Fridays.

Museum of the City of New York: ‘A Beautiful Way to Go: New York’s Green-Wood Cemetery’ (daily) This exhibition celebrating the historic Brooklyn cemetery’s 175th anniversary includes artifacts, documents, photographs and other items. From 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Fifth Avenue, at 103rd Street, (212) 534-1672, mcny.org; $10, $6 for students and 65+, $20 for families, free for members and 12 and under.

Museum of the City of New York: Fashion Talks (Saturday and Thursday) The career of the fashion designer Stephen Burrows is the subject of the exhibition, “Stephen Burrows: When Fashion Danced,” on display through July 28. On Saturday at 1 p.m. a tour of the exhibition will be led by its curator Phyllis Magidson. On Thursday at 6:30 p.m., the fashion designers Anna Sui and Isabel and Ruben Toledo will discuss Mr. Burrow’s designs; Robin Givhan, a fashion writer, is the moderator. Fifth Avenue at 103rd Street, (917) 492-3395, mcny.org; Thursday’s event: $12, $8 for 65+ and students and $6 for members; Saturday’s tour is free with museum admission. Reservations are required.

Museum of the Moving Image: ‘Spectacle: The Music Video’ (through June 16) The history of the music video, from Vitaphone shorts of the 1920s to contemporary videos featuring Lady Gaga and others, is told in this exhibition of installations, projections and objects. Museum hours: Friday from 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Wednesday and Thursday from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., 35th Avenue at 37th Street, Astoria, Queens, (718) 784-0077, movingimage.us; $12, $9 for students and 65+, $6 for children 3 to 12; free for members, children under 3 and for everyone on Fridays from 4 to 8 p.m.

New-York Historical Society: Thelma Schoonmaker (Friday) A screening of “I Know Where I’m Going!,” a film by the director Michael Powell, will be introduced by Ms. Schoonmaker, the director’s widow and a longtime film editor for Martin Scorsese. Free tickets to the event, which begins at 7 p.m., will be distributed beginning at 6 p.m. The screening is part of the series “World War II and Its Legacy in Film,” which runs through June 7. 170 Central Park West, at 77th Street, (212) 873-3400, nyhistory.org.

New York Public Library: ‘Celebrating Federico García Lorca’ (Tuesday and continuing through July 20) On view through July 20 is the exhibition “Back Tomorrow: Federico Garcia Lorca/Poet in New York,” with manuscripts, photographs and personal items highlighting the poet’s career. On Tuesday at 7 p.m., an event in celebration of his life will feature performances and readings by the poets John Giorno, Philip Levine and Paul Muldoon; the actor Will Keen and the singer and musician Patti Smith; tickets are $25, $15 for 60+ and Friends of the New York Public Library and students. The exhibition can be viewed Mondays, and Thursdays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.; and Sundays from 1 to 5 p.m.; (917) 275-6975, nypl.org/events/exhibitions; free.

New York Public Library for the Performing Arts: ‘100 Years of Flamenco in New York’ (through Aug. 3) This exhibition traces the popularity of the dance form in the city, from the mid-1800s to the present, through engravings and photographs, printed materials, costume pieces and films and recordings. Viewing hours: Fridays, Saturdays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays from noon to 6 p.m., Mondays and Thursdays from noon to 8 p.m., 111 Amsterdam Avenue, at 65th Street, Lincoln Center, (917) 275-6975, nypl.org/lpa; free.

‘On Time/Grand Central at 100’ (through July 7) This multimedia exhibition, commissioned for the occasion, features 18 artists’ impressions of time, travel and the commuters who flood the terminal each day in pieces incorporating painting, video photography and sculpture. It can be viewed weekdays from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., New York Transit Museum Gallery Annex and Store, Grand Central Terminal, near the Station Masters’ Office, (212) 878-0106, grandcentralterminal.com/centennial; free.

Skyscraper Museum: ‘The Woolworth Building @ 100’ (through July 14) An exhibition celebrating the 100th anniversary of this Cass Gilbert-designed building — when completed in 1913 it was considered the tallest office building in the world — features blueprints, photographs, contracts and other items. Wednesdays through Sundays from noon to 6 p.m.; 39 Battery Place, Lower Manhattan, (212) 968-1961, skyscraper.org; $5, $2.50 for students and 65+.

Gardens

Queens Botanical Garden (Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday) It’s a busy week for those with green thumbs, beginning with Community Volunteer Day on Sunday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., 43-50 Main Street, Flushing, Queens, queensbotanical.org; free; registration required, e-mail rforlenza@queensbotanical.org or call (718) 886-3800, Ext. 204. On Tuesday at 5:30 p.m., learn how to turn kitchen scraps and lawn trimmings into gardening gold at “NYC Compost Project in Queens: Composting in the City at the Queens County Farm Museum,” 73-50 Little Neck Parkway, Floral Park; $5; registration required, e-mail compost@queensbotanical.org or call (718) 539-5296. The gardening gloves come off Thursday for the 18th annual Rose Gala, with all proceeds benefiting the gardens and programming. At 6 p.m., on the terrace of the Queens Botanical Garden visitor and administration center. (718) 886-3800, Ext. 202, or queensbotanical.org/programs/rosegala; $300, registration required.

Events

‘Beyond Sandy: Keeping the Conversation Alive’ boat tours (Tuesdays, through Sept. 24) This special Hidden Harbors series from the Working Harbor Committee and New York Water Taxi focuses on environmental issues facing New York’s waterfronts, as well as businesses and residents affected by Hurricane Sandy. There are three alternating tours, “High Seas on the Inner Harbor,” “Fire, Floods and Floating Containers” and “Protecting Our Ports,” and each features guest speakers from government agencies, the maritime industry, universities and recovery organizations. The tours are two hours and depart at 6:30 p.m. from Pier 16 at South Street Seaport, Fulton and Front Streets, Lower Manhattan, (212) 742-1969, workingharbor.com; $39, $32 for 60+, $25 for children ages 4 through 12.

Brooklyn Film Festival (Friday through June 9) More than 100 films from around the globe will be screened at this competition, including 32 world premieres — two of which will bookend the competition on opening and closing nights: “HairBrained,” directed by Billy Kent, will be shown Friday at 8 p.m., and “Cut to Black,” by Dan Eberle, will screen June 9 at 8 p.m. The festival takes place at various times at Windmill Studios NYC and indieScreen, 287 and 289 Kent Avenue, near South First Street, Williamsburg, Brooklyn, brooklynfilmfestival.org; $12; $10 for students and 65+.

Celebrate Israel Parade (Sunday) This annual parade honoring the founding of the state of Israel — this year is the nation’s 65th anniversary — will begin at 11 a.m. at Fifth Avenue and 57th Street and head north to 74th Street; celebrateisraelny.org. There will be marching bands, other musicians and members of the Israel National Soccer Team.

8th Annual Taste of LIC (Tuesday) Sample food and beverages from 50 local restaurants at this celebration of Long Island City’s cultural and culinary scenes. The event is a fund-raiser for The Chocolate Factory theater’s upcoming season. Live musical performances, silent auctions and toasts from local politicians are also planned. At 6:30 p.m., Gantry Plaza State Park, at 49th Avenue and Center Boulevard, on the East River Waterfront, Long Island City, Queens, (212) 352-3101, chocolatefactorytheater.org; $60 for general admission.

Howl! Festival (Friday through Sunday) More than 350 artists, poets and performers will participate in the annual celebration — this is the 10th — of the history and creativity of the East Village. Highlights include a group reading of Allen Ginsberg’s “Howl” on Friday at 4:30 p.m., as well as a kids’ carnival, a Disco Tea Dance, a marathon reading and music session by the Poetry Project and a tribute to a century of trailblazing women from the Lower East Side. Friday from 4:30 to 7 p.m., Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Tompkins Square Park, East Village, (212) 466-6666, howlfestival.com; free.

Philippine Independence Day Parade and Festival (Sunday) The day begins with a ceremony and service at 8:30 a.m. at the Philippine Center, 556 Fifth Avenue, near 45th Street. A street fair will follow at 10 a.m. on Madison Avenue, between 24th and 26th Streets, as well as a parade, at noon, which will travel down Madison Avenue from 38th to 27th Streets; pidci.org.

Prospect Lefferts Gardens House and Garden Tour (Sunday) This annual self-guided Brooklyn tour — the 43rd sponsored by the Lefferts Manor Association — will include late 19th-and-early-20th-century homes as well as prewar apartments. Noon to 5 p.m.; only children 12 and older and infants carried in front packs by adults will be allowed in the houses. (718) 284-6210, leffertsmanor.org; $20 in advance; $25 on Sunday. Tickets on Sunday will be available at the Lincoln Park Tavern, 51 Lincoln Road, between Flatbush and Ocean Avenues.

Queens Pride 2013 (Sunday) This annual event in celebration of lesbian and gay pride begins with a parade at noon on 37th Avenue, from 85th to 75th Streets, in Jackson Heights, and will be followed by a street fair from noon to 6 p.m. on 37th Road, between 74th and 77th Streets. (718) 228-7599, queenspride.org.

Readings, Discussions and a Street Fair at Housing Works Bookstore Cafe (Sunday and Tuesday through Thursday) Starting things off will be a fair on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. outside the bookstore on Crosby Street with items for sale as well as entertainment and food. On Tuesday at 7 p.m. a free discussion about the rappers 2Pac (Tupac Shakur) and the Notorious B.I.G. (Christopher Wallace) will include speakers like Jeff Weiss and Evan McGarvey, co-authors of “2Pac vs. Biggie: An Illustrated History of Rap’s Greatest Battle”; Peter Rosenberg, a D.J. with Hot 97 and Drew (Dru Ha) Friedman, an executive with Duck Down Music. On Wednesday at 7 p.m., a reading that revolves around the issue of food and eating — and includes food sampling — will feature the authors Jeff Gordinier, a contributor to the book “The Cassoulet Saved Our Marriage: True Tales of Food, Family, and How We Learn to Eat”; Kelly Geary (“Tart and Sweet: 101 Canning and Pickling Recipes for the Modern Kitchen”); Michael Moss, also a reporter for The New York Times (“Salt Sugar Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us”); and Jack Summers of the brewery Jack From Brooklyn; suggested donation, $5. And on Thursday at 6 p.m., “Eat Your Feelings: Stories of Food, Jews &amp; Your Mom,” an evening of storytelling sponsored by Tumblr, with the writers Jami Attenberg, Jason Diamond, Ophira Eisenberg and others. 126 Crosby Street, near Houston Street, SoHo, (212) 334-3324, housingworksbookstore.org.

‘Real Women on the Reel’ (Wednesday) This event serves the dual role of celebrating the premiere of a short film by Respect Films!, as well as raising funds and awareness for Bottomless Closet, a nonprofit that helps disadvantaged New York City women. Music, appetizers, drinks and a raffle also are in store for guests beginning at 6:30 p.m. at the Cutting Room, 44 East 32nd Street, near Park Avenue, (212) 563-2499, bottomlessclosetnyc.org/realwomen.html; $40 in advance; $50 at the door.

Seafarers and International House Street Fair (Sunday) From 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., on Third Avenue, between 14th and 23rd Streets, Manhattan.

‘The Spirit of Pride: Queer First’ (Saturday) An evening of song and poetry in conjunction with Gay Pride Month, featuring performances by Ryan Amador and Jo Lampert, the Lavender Light Gospel Choir, and others. At 7:30 p.m., Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine, 1047 Amsterdam Avenue, at 112th Street, Morningside Heights, (212) 316-7490, stjohndivine.org/QueerFirst.html; free.

Spring Crafts Festival (Sunday) From 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., on the west side of Broadway, between 65th and 72nd Streets, Manhattan.

World Nomads Tunisia (Friday) The French Institute Alliance Française concludes the fifth edition of its World Nomads festival, which celebrates French-speaking cultures. An exhibition of paintings, photographs and video installations is on view in the FIAF Gallery, Florence Gould Hall, 55 East 59th Street, Manhattan. A documentary of graffiti artists Jaye and eL Seed’s experiences collaborating with New York graffiti artists during the festival, will be on view at 5Pointz, 45-46 Davis Street, at Jackson Avenue, Long Island City, Queens; free. (800) 982-2787, fiaf.org; films are $10, $7 for students, free for members.

World Science Festival (through Sunday) This annual festival for science and math lovers of all ages continues around the city. Locations include the New-York Historical Society, 170 Central Park West, at 77th Street, where a discussion on advances in the treatment of AIDS is planned for 10 a.m. on Friday, as well as New York University, where infinity is the topic of seminars on Friday at 8 p.m. at the Skirball Center for the Performing Arts, 566 La Guardia Place, at Washington Square South, Greenwich Village, and on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. at D’Agostino Hall, 110 West Third Street. Some events are sold out, but limited tickets to many may become available. A complete schedule is at worldsciencefestival.com.

Spoken Word

Barney Frank on Military Spending and the Federal Budget (Tuesday) The former Representative Barney Frank, Democrat of Massachusetts, will lead a discussion on military spending and the federal budget as part of the Center for Public Scholarship at the New School. Also taking part: Robert Pollin, a professor of economics and co-director of the Political Economy Research Institute at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. At 6 p.m., Tishman Auditorium of the New School, 66 West 12th Street, Greenwich Village, newschool.edu/events; free, but reservations are recommended: (917) 534-9330 or cps@newschool.edu.

Poetry in Theater (Monday) The cross-disciplinary relationship of poetry and theater is the focus of this event sponsored by The Martin E. Segal Center, a nonprofit center for theater, dance and film at CUNY. The program features an afternoon of new and rarely performed poems and plays, including “Somewhere Near Here,” written by Yusef Komunyakaa, a Pulitzer Prize-winning poet, and directed by Kenneth Sean Collins. At 7:30 p.m. a panel discussion will feature writers, directors and Judith Malina, a founder of the Living Theater. From 2 to 9 p.m., the Graduate Center, Elebash Theater, CUNY, 365 Fifth Avenue at 34th Street, (212) 817-1860, thesegalcenter.org; free.

Walking Tours

‘Chinatown: A Walk Through History’ (Saturday) The buildings, streets and communities that shaped one of New York’s oldest neighborhoods will be the focus of this guided tour, beginning at 1 p.m. at the Museum of Chinese in America, 215 Centre Street, between Howard and Grand Streets, Lower Manhattan, (212) 619-4785, mocanyc.org; $15, $12 for students and 65+, free for members and children under 12. Registration required.

‘Edgar Allan Poe and His Ghostly Neighbors of Greenwich Village’ (Saturdays through June 29) Eleanor Roosevelt, Aaron Burr and other ghosts of Greenwich Village will be in the spotlight during this 90-minute tour by Ghosts of New York, which will take guests to Washington Square Park, New York University library and several Poe sites. Registration required. Meeting at 7:30 p.m., across from Fire Patrol Station No. 2, 85 West Third Street, (646) 493-7092, ghostsofny.com; $25 for tickets purchased online with a credit card, $30 in cash on day of tour.

‘Ghosts of Grand Central Celebrate 100 Haunted Years’ (Saturday) The Vanderbilts, August Belmont and Franklin Roosevelt and his dog are among the paranormal passengers featured in this 90-minute tour offered by Ghosts of New York. At 7:30 p.m., in front of the New York Transit Museum Gallery Annex and Store, Grand Central Terminal, near the Station Masters’ Office, (646) 493-7092, ghostsofny.com; $25 online, $30 if paying with cash.

High Line, Meatpacking District and Greenwich Village (Saturday and Sunday) No need to bring a gift for the “Happy Birthday High Line” tour, a celebration of several of the elevated park’s June anniversaries that begins at 12:30 p.m. The Titanic Memorial Arch and other meatpacking district landmarks will also be visited; $20. At 2:45 p.m., the “Greenwich Village History and Dessert Tour” gives a taste of the neighborhood’s sweeter side while exploring historical and cultural sites, like Mark Twain’s home and film locations for “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” and “Sex and the City”; $27, which includes price of food. Meeting places will be given with reservations: (212) 465-3331.

‘Lorca’s Route in New York’ (Wednesday) This walking tour on Frederico García Lorca’s actual birthday retraces the steps the Spanish poet and playwright took as a student at Columbia University in 1929. Highlights include poetry readings and musical performances, as well as stops at the Hispanic Society of America, where Lorca entertained fellow students. Starting at 4 p.m. at Columbia University, 116th Street and Broadway, (646) 342-6457, lorcanyc.com; $25.

‘New York’s Oldest, Narrowest, Crookedest Streets’ (Saturday and Sunday) Streets that have remained unchanged since colonial times are the focus of this two-and-a-half-hour walk beginning at 11 a.m. in front of Trinity Church, Broadway at Wall Street, Lower Manhattan, (917) 607-9019, indepthwalkingtours.com; $20.

Recreation

Celebrate Israel Four-Mile Run and Kids’ Races (Sunday) This run in Central Park, co-sponsored by the New York Road Runners and the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York, begins at 8 a.m. on the East Drive, south of 68th Street; kids’ races begin at 9:30 a.m. Registration takes place on Friday from 1 to 7 p.m. and Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the New York Road Runners, 9 East 89th Street; on race day registration in the park begins at 6:30 a.m. Advance race fees are $37, $23 for members, $15 for those 18 and younger and 62+. Race-day registration: $40, $25 and $20; kids’ race fee, $6 in advance, $8 on Sunday. (212) 860-4455, nyrr.org

‘Changing the World Is a Walk in the Park’ (Saturday) This annual event raises money for YAI, a nonprofit that helps people with disabilities and their families in the New York area. It consists of a five-kilometer run, a three-kilometer walk and races for children in Central Park, taking place around the Naumburg Bandshell, midpark at 72nd Street. The run begins at 9 a.m.; registration is 7:30 a.m.; $30. The walk begins at 9:45 a.m.; registration is at 8:30 a.m.; $25. Children’s races and activities like face painting, sand art and games, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.; $10. (877) 924-9255, yai.org/cpc. LORI HOLCOMB AND ANNE MANCUSO

Correction:

An entry in the Spare Times listings in some editions Friday about talks at the 92nd Street Y in Manhattan misspelled the surname of the president of the Council on Foreign Relations, who will take part in a political discussion Wednesday night. He is Richard Haass, not Haas.

Information on events for possible inclusion in Spare Times should be sent to weekend@nytimes.com by Monday at 5 p.m. for publication that week. Longer versions of Around Town and For Children listings are in a searchable guide at nytimes.com/events.